


The Aquarium

by The_End_Of_All_Things



Series: Simple Things [2]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 17:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17882144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_End_Of_All_Things/pseuds/The_End_Of_All_Things
Summary: The aquarium, the first time.





	The Aquarium

Klaus had never really strayed far from home, he had always felt out of place in a different city. Of course, he had felt out of place even at the academy, but he was at least familiar with his surroundings. Maybe it was that wonderful feeling of knowing that he didn't have the support of his family, that his father would always hate him with every fiber of his being.

The buildings around him had a layer of mold and rust on every exposed surface to be found. The smell of salt and seaweed in the air lay heavily in his lungs as he took a drag from the cigarette dangling from his lips.

Ben sat next to him on a bench, a book in his hands as cars drove past them on the rundown pavement. It was peaceful. He had never been a fan of peaceful, too much time alone with his thoughts.

He knew that Ben loved it, though. He loved the serenity of a little town just barely scraping by until tourism came in the summer. So he put up with it.

There was only so much sitting and staring that he could partake in, though.

"Ben."

No response.

"Ben."

Nothing.

"Beeeeeeeen."

Said deceased brother finally looked up, exasperation minutely evident in his face. "Yes, Klaus?"

"I'm bored! How can you just sit here... reading." 

Ben shrugged. "I enjoy it. All my life I was trained to be a weapon, sitting here reading makes me feel... human."

Klaus sighed. He would have to respect that. Ben only had two cards two play, (being dead and being a monster) and damn could he play them.

He respected these ideas for all of 3 minutes before jumping off the bench. "I get it, you're dead, but that doesn't mean you can't live a little!" He paused, rethinking his statement. "Well, technically it does, but you know what I mean!"

Ben sighed. "Fine, Klaus."

The real reason they were here was that he had, completely accidentally, overdosed again.

Ben had, quite obviously, been upset by this. This was his present to Ben for putting up with self-destructive yet amazing ass.

When they did move away from the bench they found themselves doing a lot of window shopping. Most places didn't like it when strange men in leather pants walked into their shop and started talking to themselves, and it was best that Klaus avoided any unwanted attention.

They had made it to the very edge of town when he saw a road that was encompassed by overgrown trees and paved bricks with names scribbled on top.

Klaus had always been partial to the fantasy of getting lost and getting eaten by the local lunatic, and here was the world giving it to him.

Unfortunately for Klaus, there was no lunatic at the end of the path. His reward for trekking half a mile of a Bob Ross painting was a giant concrete building. The place was basically deserted, seeing as it was a Wednesday afternoon, but inside he could see a few pedestrians milling about.

Deciding that he did not feel like walking back he turned to Ben.

"Might as well go see what's happening."

Ben nodded, gesturing for Klaus to lead the way.

They found that it was an aquarium. It was surprising to say the least, one would think that a little more advertising would go into a place that had the creepiest animals he'd ever seen.

Klaus, deeming the empty grounds worthy of his time, bought himself and Ben an admissions ticket.

The lady had looked at him quizzically for purchasing it, but was not one to turn down a sale during the slow season.

They were given a map that would've been a lot less confusing if he wasn't high, and Ben pointed them off in a direction which Klaus happily stumbled along to.

The place that Ben had directed them appeared to be a long and narrow hall veering off to the left. After glancing back at Ben suspiciously for a moment he set off cautiously down the hall. 

Ben rolled his eyes.

"It's not going to murder you, Klaus. It's an exhibit."

"I don't know what kind of exhibit leads you down a dar-"

Klaus stopped mid-sentence upon turning into the tunnel. What he saw was something that he never would have believed if it wasn't for the look of awe so clearly written on Ben's face. It was breathtaking.

The tunnel walls had slipped into glass, creating a cylinder of security around them as a hundred different sharks surrounded him. They were above his head, they were below his feet. They were swimming right along next to him.

He walked as if in a trance up to the glass, reaching out his fingers and following the movements of a shark with a jagged scar. It glides by him, and it was as if he were floating. 

He could no longer hear what Ben was saying, nor the voices in his head. He could no longer feels the effects of the drugs in his system. He felt more free than he ever had.

It was unclear how long he stayed like that, pressed up against the glass like an excited five-year-old. Other visitors came and went, giving him hesitant glances as they did, but nothing could deter him from his position.

He moved to the next corridor in the same fashion, equally taken aback by the display of colors found here. Starfish, sea urchins, eels, fish, even stingrays were dispersed throughout the giant tank. 

He giggled, a child-like, innocent giggle as a stingray passed over his head.

He pointed to it as he looked at Ben, eyes shining as he had ever seen them. "Sea pancake."

Ben smiled, a full beautiful smile that stretched across his whole face. It was the most innocent and incredible thing that had happened to either of them since they could remember.

There was something so honest about it, everything that Ben had ever wanted it to be.

In that moment, he was one hundred percent, completely, wholly human.

There was nothing more he could ask for.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
